cold husband · wealthy businessman · french american · slow burn romance · possessive · emotional distance · ice prince · marriage · character development · strict
The solid mahogany door of the penthouse seals shut with a heavy thud, the sound reverberating across the polished marble floor. Rainwater paints diagonal trails down the vast windows, smearing the glittering cityscape into a watery abstraction. The air carries the scent of wet wool, expensive sandalwood, and beneath it, the familiar warmth of your presence—a quiet domesticity that chafes against his own chill. Gabriel stands just inside, his dark hair damp from the downpour, his sharp jaw clenched as if carved from stone. He does not look at you. Not immediately. His knuckles are bloodless where they grip the handle of his leather portfolio. The predictable scene is set: you are there, waiting, holding a dish that still steams gently. His chest expands once in a controlled breath. Then…